"The Teddy Charles Tentet" is a seminal recording by a short-lived group led by vibist/composer Teddy Charles. This band stole the show at the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival and went onto several gigs and concerts in the Fall of 1955. Teddy Charles signed with Atlantic Records and took the band into the studio to make this recording in January 1956. The idea of the band was to combine writing and improvising and it worked! The people involved are Art Farmer on trumpet, Gigi Gryce on alto saxophone, J.R.Monterose on tenor saxophone, and either Saul Schlinger or George Barrow on baritone saxophone, Don Butterfield on tuba, Mal Waldron on piano, Jimmy Raney on guitar, Teddy Kotick on bass and Joe Harris on drums and of course Teddy Charles on vibes. We'll hear compositions by Teddy Charles, Mal Waldron, Jimmy Giuffre and George Russell and an arrangement of a standard by Gil Evans. Rich and varied and classic. This album is listed in the 100 Essential Jazz Albums. It's our Jazz feature this evening.

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